Recorder head for compound alphanumeric characters and code characters

ABSTRACT

Recorder head for compound alphanumeric or code characters includes a cylindrical housing having front and rear slot guiding means, a plurality of flat and straight printing rods disposed in rows in mutual engagement and mounted in the front and rear slot guiding means, means having a type face located at the front end of said printing rods, respectively, electromagnet means coordinated with the printing rods for axially displacing the same into printing position, the printing rods being of equal length and being formed with reinforced sliding surface portions at mutually engaging regions thereof, the electromagnet means comprising pot-shaped magnets located one behind the other and formed with respective core bores, armature plates located adjacent and coordinated with the magnets, respectively, and also formed with respective bores, the plurality of printing rods extending in common through the core bores of the magnets and the bores of the armature plates, each of the printing rods having a stop operatively engageable by a respective armature plate in response to activation of a respective pot-shaped magnet for axially displacing the respective printing rod.

United States Patent [191 Priebs et al.

[111 3,820,643 1 June 28, 1974 75] Inventors: Horst Priebs; Alfred Hecker, both of Bielefeld, Germany [73] Assignee: Anker-Werke AG, Bielefeld,

Germany 22 Filed: Sept. 7, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 287,052

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 9, 1971. Germany 2145116 [52] US. Cl 197/1 R [51] Int. Cl B4lj 3/50 [58] Field of Search 197/1; 101/93 C; 346/78, 346/139 R, 141

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,209,681 10/1965 Sanborn 197/1 X 3,217,640 11/1965 Bradshaw 197/] R X 3,300,017 1/1967 Yazejian et a1. t 197/1 R 3,467,232 9/1969 Paige 197/1 R 3,584,575 6/1971 Distl 197/1 R X 3,625,142 12/1971 197/1 R X 3,690,431 9/1972 Howard 197/1 R Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-R. T. Rader Attorney, Agent, or Firm-l-lerbert L. Lerner 5 ABSTRACT Recorder head for compound alphanumeric or code characters includes a cylindrical housing having front and rear slot guiding means, a plurality of flat and straight printing rods disposed in rows in mutual engagement and mounted in the front and rear slot guiding means, means having a type face located at the front end of said printing rods, respectively, electromagnet means coordinated with the printing rods for axially displacing the same into printing position, the printing rods being of equal length and being formed with reinforced sliding surface portions at mutually engaging regions thereof, the electromagnet means comprising pot-shaped magnets. located one behind the other and formed with respective core bores, armature plates located adjacent and coordinated with the magnets, respectively, and also formed with respective bores, the plurality of printing rods extending in common through the core bores of the magnets and the bores of the armature plates, each of the printing rods having a stop operatively engageable by a respective armature plate in response to activation of a respective pot-shaped magnet for axially displacing the respective printing rod.

8 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUHZB 1914 3,820,843

"51- H 15 Fig/6 Fig.3

RECORDER HEAD FOR COMPOUND ALPHANUMERIC CHARACTERS AND CODE CHARACTERS The invention of the instant application relates to a recorder head for compound alphanumeric characters and code characters and, more particularly, such a recorder head that includes a plurality of flat and straight printing rods disposed in adjacent rows in a cylindrical housing and being in mutual engagement in a front and a rear slot guide in which they are mounted and axially displaceable into printing position by electrical potshaped magnets associatedtherewith. If an alphanumeric character is to be produced in mosaic print, a square type face is provided on the printing rods; if a code character is to be produced, the type face is a line.

Recorder heads for producing alphanumeric characters in mosaic print are known in many various embodiments. Thus, Published Non-Prosecuted German Application DOS 2 032 821 describes a cylindrical recorder head wherein printing needles bent substantially at a right angle are radially secured in a cylindrical housing with the bent ends and, disposed in mutual engagement above one another at the printing location, are guided in a slot aperture. The actuation of the printing needles is effected by plunger-type magnets which are radially distributed in the cylindrical housing and which act with their plungers upon the bent ends of the printing needle or wires.

This heretofore known device has the disadvantage that, due to the radial distribution of the plunger-type magnets, the diameter of the cylindrical housing becomes relatively large and the printing needles perform an arcuately curved longitudinal displacement, resulting in the production of considerable frictional forces in the slot guide which, in turn, must be compensated by more powerful electromagnets.

In German Published Non-Prosecuted Application DOS 1 935 805, there is disclosed a needle printing head with a cylindrical housing from which straight printing needles emerge at an angle to the printing plane. This recorder head also has the disadvantage of radially distributed plungentype magnets, so that the diameter of the recorder head is relatively large. Furthermore, the needle guide at the printing head is relatively expensive and requires a high degree of accuracy during the production thereof.

Flat and straight printing rods with a substantially square printing surface or type face are disclosed in German Published Prosecuted Application DAS I 253 940. The transfer of the adjacent printing rods into the printing position thereof is effected electromagnetically by means of deflecting levers, the actual imprint being effected, after the adjustment of the printing rods, through a counter-movement of the paper carrier which is secured to the armature of a pot-shaped magnet.

This device is very costly, requires much space, and needs strong adjusting magnets, particularly because the friction between the mutually engaging printing rods is relatively large.

Furthermore, German Published Prosecuted Application DAS l 251 05 8 discloses a recorder head having a rotatable cylindrical housing wherein four axially displaceable printing stamps with line type are mounted, the alphanumeric character to be printed being compounded by selecting the individual printing stamps and turning the housing. The axial displacement of the printing stamps is produced by electromagnets respectively associated therewith, through levers which are swung by a plunger-type armature.

This device is very costly and heavy, and is not suitable to be moved in line direction.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of the foregoing heretofore known recorder heads and to provide a simple, reliably functioning and easily controllable recorder head for producing compound alphanumeric characters or code characters that is small in diameter as well as in weight, only the construction of the printing head proper of the printing rods being determinative of its application as a recorder head for clear alphanumeric characters in mosaic print or code characters in line print, while the remaining structural components are the same for both type of characters.

Another object of the invention is to provide a recorder head that can produce characters in mosaic print as wellas in line coding, and, above all, wherein the actuating and frictional forces of mutually engaging printing. rods is kept to a minimum.

With the foregoingand other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, recorder head for compound alphanumeric or code characters comprising a cylindrical housing having front and rear slot guiding means, a plurality of flat and straight printing rods disposed in rows in mutual engagement and mounted in the front and rear slot guiding means, means having a type face located at the front end of the printing rods, respectively, electromagnet means coordinated withthe printing rods for axially displacing the same into printing position, the printing rods being of equal length and being formed with reinforced sliding surface portions at mutually engaging regions thereof, the electromagnet means comprising pot-shaped magnets located one behind the other and formed with respective core bores, armature plates located adjacent and coordinated with the magnets, respectively, and also formed with respective bores, the plurality of printing rods extending in common through the core bores of the magnets and the bores of the armature plates, each of the printing rods having a stop operatively engageable by a respective armature plate in response to activation of a respective pot-shaped magnet for axially displacing the respective printing rod.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the axial bore formed in the armature plate is of rectangular construction, the width of the axial bore being smaller than the total height of the stop of the printing rod, so that, after the insertion thereof, by turning the printingrod the stop is operatively connectible with an end face of the rectangular bore.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, in order to avoid additional space requirements, a return or restoring spring is accommodated within the axial bore of the pot-shaped magnet which is formed as an interrupted or partial bore, forming an inner collar which serves as an abutment for the return or restoring spring.

In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, to ensure lasting operation of the recorder head, cooling ribs are disposed on the outer surface of the cylindrical housing.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the line types are located at the free end of the printing rods and are movable relative to the printing plane.

According to yet another feature of the invention. an anti-adhesive sheet is disposed between the pot-shaped magnets and the armature plates to prevent magnetic adhesion thereof in the printing position, and an antimagnetic disc is situated between the rear side of the pot-shaped magnet and the armature plate coordinated with the next preceding pot-shaped magnet to prevent magnetic adhesion of the armature plate, in the nonprinting position.

In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, to reduce friction, the printing rod guide at the printing end of the rod is constructed as a cross-slotted guide, the front and rear faces thereof being formed with perpendicularly disposed transverse guide slots, the rear guide slot being provided for horizontal guidance of the printing rods and the front guide slot serving for vertical guidance of the printing rods.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in recorder head for compound alphanumeric characters and code characters, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal view, partly in section, of a recorder head for compound alphanumeric characters constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along the line [I II in the rear portion of the recorder head;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of FIG. 1 in the region thereof defined by the oval broken line A;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of FIG. 1 showing the respective front and rear right-hand and left-hand guides for the printing rod;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged perspective view of the front or right-hand printing rod guide of FIG. 4 as seen from the front or right-hand side thereof;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 of the front or right-hand printing rod guide of FIG. 4, seen, however, from the rear or left-hand side thereof;

FIG. 7 is an exploded longitudinal view of a set of printing rods for a mosaic print;

FIG. Sis a top plan view of a set of adjacent printing rods respectively having types for printing a line;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a recorder head with line types;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 9 taken along the line X X in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view of FIG. 9 showing the front or right-hand printing rod guide with line types;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary top plan view, partly in sec tion, of the front or right-hand printing rod guide with line types shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of a recorder head having only two line types, for producing a coding in series;

FIG. 14 is a plan top view, partly in section, of the front or left-hand printing rod guide of the recorder head of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a view of an alphanumeric character in mosaic print;

FIG. 16 is a view in line coding of the value I 1.65;

FIG. 17 is a view in line coding of the value 2.79.

Referring now to the drawings, and first particularly to FIGS. 1 to 7, there is shown therein a recorder head for compound alphanumeric characters, which is formed of a cylindrical housing 1, in which, in accordance with a given raster, a multiplicity of printing rods 2 have been inserted, in adjacent engaging position. The printing rods 2 are provided at upper and lower edges thereof, as viewed in FIG. 7, with respective stops 3 that are disposed in offset relationship to one another lengthwise of the adjacent printing rods, as seen more clearly in FIG. 7. To reduce mutual friction forces, the embodiment of the printing rods 2, shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 between the front end and the rear end thereof, respectively, are provided, in the manner shown also for the embodiment of the printing rods of FIG. 8, with a recess 4 extending on one side along the greatest part of the length thereof so that the printing rods 2 are located mutually adjacent and are guided only at the front and at the rear partial lengths 5 and 6 thereof. The printing rods 2 are beveled at the front face 7 thereof for effecting a mosaic print and so that, as shown in FIG. 15, an alphanumeric character having a square raster can be produced, the square raster points being in mutual engagement in order to produce an uninterrupted raster line.

As is shown in FIGS. I and 3, the printing rods 2 are passed adjacent one another through spaced core holes 8 of as many pot-shaped magnets 9, located one behind the other, as the number of printing rods 2 that are provided. Within the offset core holes 8 of the respective pot-shaped magnets 9, a restoring spring 10 is received, which, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, is a conical spiral spring, and bears against the stop 3 of the respective printing rod 2. The off-set core holes 8 are so large on the armature side thereof, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, that the stop 3 of the printing rod can enter the bore 8 in the operating or effective position thereof. An armature plate 11 is associated with each pot-shaped magnet 9 and its respective printing rod 2 and is formed with a rectangular opening 12, through which all of the printing rods 2 of the recorder head extend.

As is especially apparent from FIG. 3, between the armature plate 11 and the respective pot-shaped magnet 9, there is disposed a thin anti-adhesive sheet 13, preferably of phosphor bronze, and between the armature plate 11 and the rear of the adjacent pot-shaped magnet, there is disposed a bearing or stop washer 14, preferably of plastic material which prevents the armature plate 11 from adhering to the magnet, in the operative and idle position thereof.

A spherical housing portion 15 is provided in the housing 1 at the printing end thereof, and a forward guide member 16 is received in the housing portion 15. The forward printing rod guide member 16 is constructed, as shown by FIGS. and 6, as a cross-slotted guide having a forward vertical slot 17 and a rear horizontal slot 18, by which the frictional resistance of the printing rods 2 within the front guide member 16 is markedly reduced in the performance of an exact vertical and horizontal guidance. At the other end of the housing 1 (FIGS. 1 and 4), the printing rods 2 extend into a rectangular bore formed in a non-magnetizable rear guide plate 19.

Another embodiment of the recorder head in a cylindrical housing ll, according to the invention, is shown in FIGS. 8 to 12, and employs a multiplicity of printing rods 2 of varying widths (FIGS. 8 and 12) having respective types 21 for printing a line, respectively, to produce code characters similar in parallel print and line code to that shown in FIG. 17. The printing rods 2 are provided, as shown particularly in the enlarged view of FIGS. 11 and 12, at the front partial length 5 thereof, with a knob-like arcuate or spherical projection 22 on which the line type 21 is movably secured. The line type 21, which is formed of a lamellar metal sheet, is provided, for the purpose of movably securing the same, with an arcuate or spherical recess 23, and is stuck laterally upon the projection 22 of the printing rod 2 which is accordingly received in the recess 23. The front end face 24 of the line type 21 is provided, due to one-sided beveling thereof as shown in FIG. 12, for example, with a width that corresponds to the desired line thickness, a width of 0. 1, 0.3 or 0.6 mm being preferably used.

As aforementioned with respect to the recorder head of FIGS. 1 to 7, the pot-shaped magnets 9, the return or restoring springs 10, the armature plates 11, the antiadhesive metal sheets 13 and the bearing or stop washers 14 are serially disposed, in accordance with the number of printing rods 2, within the housing 1. In the front end of the cylindrical housing 1, thereis inserted a fastening plate or bracket 26 having a front guide housing 27, wherein the guide member 16, which is provided with cross slots 17 and 18 (FIGS. 5 and 6), is disposed. Furthermore, the housing II is provided with a cylindrical cooling jacket 28.

As shown in FIG. 9, a U-shaped paper guiding and retaining bar, across which a recording carrier 30, such as a tape, is passed, is disposed in front of the recorder head in the plane of printing. In order to print upon the recording carrier 30, an inking ribbon 31 is disposed between the recording carrier 30 and the line type 21.

FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate another embodiment of a recorder head which is similar to the aforedescribed embodiment. The recorder head of FIGS. 13 and 14 has only two printing rods 2 with respective line types 21, and serves for producing coded characters of the kind shown in FIG. 16, the coding being effected by heavy and thin lines in the serial printing process.

As shown in FIG. 13, the recorder head includes a cylindrical housing 1, like that of the embodiment of FIG. 1, with a cooling jacket 28, and is similarly provided with a bracket or fastening plate 26, a guide housing 27 and a guide member 16, printing rods 2 with line types 21 and a rear guide plate 19, pot-shaped magnets 9 and 9, armature plates 11, return or restoring springs 10,

as well as anti-adhesive sheets of metal 13 (not shown in FIG. 13) and a bearing or stop washer 14, such as shown in FIG. 3. The longer pot-shaped magnet 9' of the embodiment of FIG. 13 is provided with a wider line type 21 than the line type 21. Enlarged pot-shaped magnets 9' are also provided for printing rods 2 which have wider line types, in the aforedescribed recorder head embodiment of FIG. 9.

The mode of operation of these recorder heads and their pulse-like control are believed to require no special description herein since they are well known in the art.

We claim:

l. Recorder head having a front end for compound alphanumeric or code characters comprising a housing having front and rear slot guiding means, a plurality of flat and straight printing rods disposed in rows and mounted in said front and rear slot guiding means, means having a type face located at the front end of said printing rods, respectively, electromagnet means cooperating with said printing rods for axially displacing the same into printing position, said printing rods being of equal length, said electromagnet means com prising magnets located one behind the other axially along said rods, means defining a core, hole in each of said magnets, armature plates located adjacent to said magnets, each of said armature plates having an opening, said plurality of printing rods extending through said core holes of said magnets and said openings of said armature plates, each of said printing rods having a stop operatively engageable by a respective armature plate in response to activation of a respective magnet for axially displacing the respective printing rod.

2. Recorder head according to claim 1 wherein the type faces are substantially square-shaped and are adapted to form an alphanumeric character in a mosaic print.

3. Recorder head according to claim 1 wherein the type faces are lines, respectively, for forming a code character.

4. Recorder head according to claim 1 wherein the opening in said armature plates has a rectangular shape, and said stop of said printing rods comprises a projection therefrom which is wider than the diameter of said opening in said armature plates.

5. Recorder head according to claim 1 wherein said printing rods at the respective printing ends thereof are provided with line type having imprinting width of varying line thicknesses for printing a parallel line code.

6. Recorder head according to claim 5 wherein said line type is movably mounted in the printing plane on the respective printing rod.

7. Recorder head according to claim 5 wherein the magnets associated with the respective printing rods are constructed to have an output corresponding to the various line widths of said line type.

8. Recorder head according to claim 1 including a non-adhering sheet disposed between each of said magnets and the respective armature plates, and a stop washer disposed between the respective armature plates and the magnet located adjacent thereto. 

1. Recorder head having a front end for compound alphanumeric or code characters comprising a housing having front and rear slot guiding means, a plurality of flat and straight printing rods disposed in rows and mounted in said front and rear slot guiding means, means having a type face located at the front end of said printing rods, respectively, electromagnet means cooperating with said printing rods for axially displacing the same into printing position, said printing rods being of equal length, said electromagnet means comprising magnets located one behind the other axially along said rods, means defining a core hole in each of said magnets, armature plates located adjacent to said magnets, each of said armature plates having an opening, said plurality of printing rods extending through said core holes of said magnets And said openings of said armature plates, each of said printing rods having a stop operatively engageable by a respective armature plate in response to activation of a respective magnet for axially displacing the respective printing rod.
 2. Recorder head according to claim 1 wherein the type faces are substantially square-shaped and are adapted to form an alphanumeric character in a mosaic print.
 3. Recorder head according to claim 1 wherein the type faces are lines, respectively, for forming a code character.
 4. Recorder head according to claim 1 wherein the opening in said armature plates has a rectangular shape, and said stop of said printing rods comprises a projection therefrom which is wider than the diameter of said opening in said armature plates.
 5. Recorder head according to claim 1 wherein said printing rods at the respective printing ends thereof are provided with line type having imprinting width of varying line thicknesses for printing a parallel line code.
 6. Recorder head according to claim 5 wherein said line type is movably mounted in the printing plane on the respective printing rod.
 7. Recorder head according to claim 5 wherein the magnets associated with the respective printing rods are constructed to have an output corresponding to the various line widths of said line type.
 8. Recorder head according to claim 1 including a non-adhering sheet disposed between each of said magnets and the respective armature plates, and a stop washer disposed between the respective armature plates and the magnet located adjacent thereto. 